Skirt

circa 1850-1860

(, - present)

During the 1850s, the vogue for domed skirts resulted in silhouettes that moved beyond those of the two previous decades (which were supported by wearing numerous petticoats) to one that expanded the skirts even further thanks to the invention of the steel cage crinoline. The first U.S. patent issued for a crinoline was in 1848 and was a latticework of cords and metal hoops. Mass production and affordability allowed the "hoop skirt" silhouette to be worn by women in all social classes. This fashionable silhouette was often the subject of satires within publications of the era.